Process for recovering antimony from ores and the like.



, UNITED STATES; PATENT OFFICE JOHN ROY MASSON, 0F MELBQURNE, VICTORIA. AUSTRALIA.

PROCESS FOR RECOVEBING ANTIMONY snort oR s Am) THE LIKE.

No Drawing t v T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J o'i-rnRorMAsson, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at N 0. 7 St. J amcs Buildings, William street, Melbourne, in the. British State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, assayer and metallurgist, have in vented a new and useful Process for Becovering Antimony from Ores and the Like, of which the following is a specificatioin This invention consists of'a wet process for the rec very ofantimony in a pure state, by a con ti rluous process from ores, concen trates, tailings and slimes containing it.

In carrying out my process the ore or -material containing antimony is finely pulverized and is then treated with a solution of caustic potash, caustic soda, or any other -alkali of the requisite strength, hot or cold. By such means the antimonial contents are dissolved. The said solution containing the antimony is then drawn off by filtration, decantation or other means and run into vats. Aluminium, preferably in the form of sheets, is now introduced into the solution and placed for preference in a vertical position; action isat once setup and the antimony contained in the solution is deposited on the aluminium, in the form of thin flakes, which sink to the bottom as they leave the sheets. The solution after precipitation of the antimony as above is so arated from.

the precipitate by filtration, ecantation or other means and isthen ready to again treat a fresh charge of ore. The original ore after the extractlon of the antimony may be treated for its gold contents by any well known means.

I prefer to employ agitation when ex- Specification bf Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1910.

Application filed October 26, 1909. Serial No. 524,667.

I trac'ting the a'ntimonyifrom the ore with '40 the alkaline solution and 'find I obtain the best results by using what is well knownas the A. Z. agitator and which is covered by United States Patent No. 798568 'dated 29th August 1905. Again I prefer caustic soda as a solvent for the antimony as it is cheaper than the other reagents mentioned. while, the strength of the solution used varies according to the percenta e of antimony present in the material to be treated.

For instance, for ores containing 50% antimony I find asolution containing 4% canstic soda gives good results For ore cont-ain- -ing 20% antimony a solution containing 2.5% of the alkali is in my opinion, a good solution to use.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A process for recovering antimony consisting 1n subjecting the material to'an alkali solution and then mony on aluminum.

2. The herein described process for the recovery of antimony in a pure state from ores or concentrates or from tailings and slimes consisting in dissolving the antimonial contents with a solution of caustic alkali and then precipitating the antimony con tained therein on alummiumsubstantially 7 0' as described.

In testimony whereof I- have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two su'bscribingwitnesses.

JOHN ROY MASSON. Witnesses BEDL'INGTON BODYCOMB,

W. J. S. THOMPSON.

precipitating the anti- 7 

